The journey to varyon began without ceremony. No crowds gathered. No voices called her name. The gates opened, just like that Selene was leaving everything behind. She did not look back. Inside the carriage, silence stretched between her and Elira, who sat opposite her quiet concern. "You don't have to be this strong," Elira murmured.
Selene's gaze remained fixed ahead. "I am not being strong," she said calmly. She paused. "I am being prepared,"
Days passed in slow uneventful stillness. The land shifted from familiar green to unfamiliar grey. The air itself seemed colder the further they traveled. And then, without warning....... Chaos. An arrow tore through the carriage, missing Selene by inches. Horses reared violently as soldiers shouted and steel clashed against steel. "Stay inside!" a guard yelled. Selene didn't move. Instead, she reached for the torn curtain and pulled it aside. Masked riders surrounded them. Too precise. Too coordinated. Not bandits nor assassins. Her pulse remained steady. So this is how it begins.
The carriage door burst open. A soldier stumbled in, bleeding. "They re after you run!!!!!!!" Selene stepped out instead. The air was sharp with violence. Bodies fell around her. Blood darkened the ground. Then she saw him. Not fighting. Watching. A man among the attackers, his gaze locked onto hers with unsettling intensity. As if he knew her. As if he had been waiting. For a moment, everything stilled. Then he turned and disappeared into the chaos. Minutes later, the attack ended as suddenly as it began. The remaining assassins vanished, leaving behind only silence and destruction. Selene stood untouched. Not by luck. By something deliberate. Elira rushed to her side. "Are you hurt?" Selene shook her head slowly, her eyes scanning the empty horizon. "No," she said quietly. But her voice carried something new. Understanding. 'That wasn't meant to kill me." A pause. "It was meant to send a message."